Tethered ball and resilient covering for both right and left hands

ABSTRACT

An exercise and recreational apparatus in the form of a ball and partial glove combination wherein the ball connected by an elastic band to the palm of the glove when thrown may be caught when it returns or is permitted to bypass the user one or more times before being caught. The elastic band has two openings at diagonally positioned points for thumb holes, one of which is used by a right handed player and the other by a left handed player.

United States Patent [191 Bandy TETHERED BALL AND RESILIENT COVERING FOR BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT HANDS Inventor: Leon D. Bandy, 1722 E. Dobbins Rd., Phoenix, Ariz. 85040 Filed: Nov. 5, 1973 Appl. No.: 412,683

US. Cl. 273/95 A, 2/161 A, 2/16, 2/19, 273/26 C Int. Cl A63b 71/02 Field of Search 2/19, 161 A, 16; 273/95 A, 273/26 D, 26 E, 26 C, 166, 67 B, 54 B References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1925 Brewer ..273/67B 8/1958 Dell Oct. 22, 1974 3,153,537 10/1964 Lewis 273/95 A 3,394,408 7/1968 Bush 273/166 3,496,573 2/1970 Kuchar 273/26 C 3,635,476 1/1972 Breslow 273/95 A Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Assistant ExaminerMarvin Siskind Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Warren F. B. Lindsley 57 1 ABSTRACT An exercise and recreational apparatus in the form of a ball and partial glove combination wherein the ball connected by an elastic band to the palm of the glove when thrown may be caught when it returns or is permitted to bypass the user one or more times before being caught. The elastic band has two openings at diagonally positioned points for thumb holes, one of which is used by a right handed player and the other by a left handed player.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDIJBT 22 19 3L843L1'26 IE ICE-E TETHERED BALL AND RESILIENT COVERING FOR BOTH RIGHT AND LEFI HANDS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The merchandising of exercising and recreational toys and devices is highly competitive with one manufacturers product differing from another by only slight functional variations. These small differences can mean the difference between success or failure in the marketplace. This is especially true in low cost toys and devices where a small cost advantage is of relatively little importance.

Various paddle and ball combinations, for example, have been sold as toys or exercising apparatus. The cost of these devices is only a few cents and represents no serious obstacle to anyone who might wish to own one.

If two such ball and paddle combinations are available, the typical customer will be relatively unconcerned about paying twice as much for the better of the two competing products if he feels it will perform more to his satisfaction because of certain design characteris tics. Seemingly small differences in such products may have important commercial value.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION Thisinvention relates to a variation of the ball and paddle device wherein the paddle is eliminated and the ball is tethered by an elastic band to the palm of a partial glove worn by the user. This glove, which covers only the palm and back of the hand, provides unimpaired freedom of movement of the fingers of the hand, thereby allowing the user to throw the ball against the elastic resistance of the band and to catch it again as it returns. The unique design of this palm glove allows it to be 'worn either onthe right or left hand and fits a broad range of hand sizes.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART A number of ball and paddle toys have been patented. U.S. Pat. No. 2,904,536 discloses a means for attaching an elastic band to a paddle or tennis racquet while U.S. Pat. No. 2,l42,068 tethers a ball by means of an elastic band'to a paddle having the shape of a large hand. The paddle is strapped to the hand of the user, covering his palm. U.S. Pat. No. 2,269,633 also discloses a paddle strapped over the palm of the hand with a rubber ball attached thereto by an elastic band. In all of these patents, the ball is struck by the paddle as the ball is returned under the elastic action of the band. Such toys are very difficult to handle because the paddle permits only limited opportunity to maintain recovery control of the ball.

In U.S. Pat. No. 2,904,536 the ball is attached by the elastic band to a holder which is grasped between two fingers of the user. In this embodiment, the user is'able to catch the ball as it returns and to throw it again as contrasted to the striking action inherent in the ball and paddle combinations. The grasping of the holder between the fingers, however, limits the freedom of the user to catch and throw the ball in a natural manner with that hand.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention claimed, an improved recreational apparatus is described in which a ball is tethered by an elastic strand, string or band to the palm of a partial glove such as a palm glove worn by the user, which enables him to grasp and throw the ball and to catch it again as it is returned by the elastic string.

' It is, therefore, one object of this invention to provide an improved exercise and recreational apparatus.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved recreational device or toy which can be used as an exercising means.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved exercise and recreational apparatus simulating a ball and paddle combination wherein the paddle is replaced by a partial glove which permits the user to throw and catch the ball as it is returned by the elastic band.

A still further object of this invention is to provide such a ball and glove combination which is more readily controlled by the user than prior art structures and thus more appealing as an exercise and recreational device than those found in the market place.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a novel ball and glove exercising device which may be worn on the right or left hand and readily fit a wide range of hand sizes without restricting the natural freedom and use of the hand.

A further object of this invention is toprovide an improved ball and glove apparatus with which the user may cause the ball to traverse a path behind as well as in front of him.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become-apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize this invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming part of this specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The present invention may be more readily described by refeference to theaccompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 taken along line 22;

FIG. 3 is an end view of FIG. 2 taken along line 3-3; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the apparatus mounted on the hand of the user.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring more particularly to the drawing by characters of reference, FIGS. 1-4 disclose an exercising and recreactional device or apparatus 10 comprising a partial glove 11 to which is attached or tethered an elongated elastic strand, string or band 12 which has attached to its free end a ball 13.

Glove 11 is a glove with its fingers removed and covering only the palm and back of the hand, and is fabricated preferably from an elastic material of limited flexibility. This palm glove formed in the form of a flattened cylinder is provided with an opening 14 at one end intended to accommodate the four fingers of the user; and an opening 15 at the opposite end intended to accommodate the wrist of the user. Two additional smaller openings 16 and 17 are located directly opposite each other on opposite sides of the flattened cylindrical form of glove 1] with hole 16 accommodating the thumb of the user when glove 11 is worn on the left hand and hole 17 accommodating the thumb of the user when glove 11 is worn on his right hand.

The elastic band 12 is preferably an elongated rubber band attached at one end at a point 18 to the flattened portion of glove 11 which covers the palm of the hand when worn either on the right or the left hand of the user, and its free end is attached in any suitable manner to ball 13.

Ball 13 is a lightweight rubber ball of appropriate dimensions to be caught and grasped by the hand of the user wearing glove 11. its weight must not exceed that which can be readily controlled in its inertial motion by the elasticity of band 12.

The fastening of band 12 at point 18 to glove 11 may be accomplished by tying, stapling, molding or gluing or by some combination of these, methods. The connection of the band to the ball may be made by passing the band through a hole in the ball and securing its position therein by cement or knot at the end of the band.

The curved contour 19 of opening 15, as shown in FIG. 1, 2 and 4, enhances the comfort of the user by permitting freedom of motion of his wrist. Openings l6 and 17 are also contoured in theform of an oval which comfortably accommodates the bone and muscle structure of the thumb.

.FIG. 4 shows the glove 11 as worn on the left hand 20 of the user with ball 13 being returned in flight by band 12 just prior to being caught again.

The claimed apparatus is a versatile and practical device for exercise and recreation. The glove can be worn with equal comfort on either the left or the right hand of the user, and since it is fabricated out of flexible material it can accommodate a relatively wide range of hand sizes without seriously restricting the movements of the users fingers. At the same time, the glove material is sufficiently firm and resilient to restrain the hand 12 under the inertial forces of the ball 13.

With a reasonable amount of practice the user of the claimed device can consistently throw out and retrieve the ball with the gloved hand. As his skill increases he can use a longer elastic band to increase the distances traversed by the ball. Further, he can throw the ball outward, having full finger control, and permit the path of the ball to return and" then pass behind his back out of his line of sight. He can then catch the ball as it returns from behind his back or permit it to proceed away from him in line of sight. The design of the apparatus is thus sufficiently versatile to provide a reasonable degree of initial success and yet allow considerable latitude for the improved skill accompanying its practiced use.

It should be recognized that the glove may be formed of any suitable flexible material. it has been found that rubber of the thickness and flexibility of a rubber automobile inner tube may be used.

Although but one embodiment of the present inven tion has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention whom the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An exercise. and recreational device comprising in combination:

a glove formed of resilient material for covering only the palm and back of a hand,

said glove comprises an elongated, open-ended, cy-

lindrically shaped, resilient member having two openings at diagonally positioned points for thumb holes, one of which is used with a right-handed user and the other of which is used with a left handed user,

a rubber band attached at one end to the palm of the glove, and

a rubber ball attached to the other end of the rubber band, whereby the user may grasp freely with his gloved hand the ball and throw it for movement away from him in or out of his line of sight with freedom of the fingers of the gloved hand to catch the tethered ball at will.

2. The exercise and recreational device set forth in claim 1 wherein: 

1. An exercise and recreational device comprising in combination: a glove formed of resilient material for covering only the palm and back of a hand, said glove comprises an elongated, open-ended, cylindrically shaped, resilient member having two openings at diagonally positioned points for thumb holes, one of which is used with a right-handed user and the other of which is used with a left handed user, a rubber band attached at one end to the palm of the glove, and a rubber ball attached to the other end of the rubber band, whereby the user may grasp freely with his gloved hand the ball and throw it for movement away from him in or out of his line of sight with freedom of the fingers of the gloved hand to catch the tethered ball at will.
 2. The exercise and recreational device set forth in claim 1 wherein: said glove is formed of rubber. 